Dispenser for washing compounds



Oct. 30, 1945.

S. A. RAYMOND DISPENSER FOR WASHING COMPOUNDS Filed April 23, 1943Invader Q92); A igymorzd 5Q; i MA Patented Oct. 30, 1945 DISPENSER FORWASHING GOMPOUND S Sydney" A; Raymond; Chicago; 111;, assignor to"Clean-ite Chemical (30., Chicago; 111;, a corporation of IllinoisApplication April 23, 1943,.- Serial No. 484,224-

7 Claims.

The invention relates to the dispensing of Washing compounds of the.mild alkaline class such, for example, as sodiumcarbonate, and hasparticular reference to the introduction of such compounds into the washwater of a dishwashing machine and the like. Such materials have atendency when in solution to precipitate and solidify upon the surfacesover which the solution passes, this being especially true when asaturated solution formed bythe use of hot. water is. cooled uponcontact with the relatively cold surfaces of discharge pipes and thelike. With this in view, the primary object of the invention is toprovide for the dissolution and discharge of a water softeningandcleansing material of the above class in a manner such as to-preventclogging of the apparatus and at the. same time promote disseminationthroughout the wash water.

The use of water softening and. cleansing compounds in solid orbriquette form is advantageous because it permits of the maintenance'ofa predeterminedstrength of solution by dissolving the material at auniform rate. It is accordingly a further object of the invention toprovide for the dispensing of a washing compound of theclass above setforth and made in briquette form.

The objects of the invention thus generally stated, together with otherand ancillary advantages are attained by the construction andarrangement, shown by way of illustration in the accompanyin drawing,wherein Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a dishwashingmachine equipped to dispense a water softening and cleansing material inaccordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view through a dispensing orfeeding device for the water softening and cleansing material.

Referring first to Fig. 1, I have shown, for purposesof illustration,adishwashing machine comprising upper and lower spray heads 1- for washwater contained in a tank 8, the water being drawn from the tankby apump 9 and discharged through the spray heads which are spaced apartvertically for the passage of a conveyer I!) on which are supported thedishes or other articles to be cleaned. A second set of spray heads (notshown but located toward the left of Fig. 1) discharges rinse Water ontothe dishes on the conveyer. Hot water is supplied to. this second set ofspray heads from a rinse line in a manner well known-in the art, anextension of this line being shown at I2. l3 designates generally animproved feeding or dispensing device connected in the. rinse line l2 soas" to receive. water whenever water is supplied to the rinse. line..

The feeding or dispensing device l3 comprises acontainer I4 which isshown in the present instance in the formv of acylinder openat. itsupperenditoreceive. a removable cover or cap l5. Spaced: upwardly fromthe bottom wall of the container. isa partition l'fi forming with-thebottom wall a lower chamber H1, and above the partition an uppercompartment I8.- For. the sake. ofsimplicity in manufacture,thepartition l.6- is in the form ofwafiat plate having depending legs 19restingupon the bottom ofthe. container.

The compartment I8 constitutes a holder for a plurality of briquettes Bpreferably arranged in superimposed relation; Hereinrwe have show-n fourbriquettes of a water softening and cleansing compound of theclass abovereferredto andsold on: themarket under the name Marvarok. The briquettesare substantially hemispherical in form, approximately three and.one-half inches indiameter. The internal diameter oi the cylinderissomewhat greater so asrto permi-t the easy insertionof-thebriquettesinto the compartment.

Water from the rinse line I2 is supplied by apipe 20-to the upper. endof the container in a regulated flow forpassage downwardly over thebriquettes; As shown th supply pipe 20 leads from a T-fitting 21;connected with the line. H, the: pipe 20 extending upwardly along; thecontainer and thence downwardly with itsfree open end: disposedabovethe. cap I5; The latter has a central depression to form a cup orrecess: 22 with perforations 23 at spaced Doints..

The amount of water permitted to flow through the pipe 2-95 fordischarge into the cup-shaped receptacle: 2-2 and thence into thecontainer is regulated by a valve 24a This valve-is intended foradjustment by service men only. Accordingly, it is shown as in thenature of an ordinary T-fitting. equipped with a control plug without anoperating handle in order not to invite manipulation by unskilledpersons.

Usually only a small amount of water is re quired; varying accordingtothetemperature of. the-water and the degree of concentration-desired.In! thecase. of dishwashingmachines, with the temperature of the rinse.waterfrom: to F-., the'flow may'berestricted to a-rapidr droppingora-very fine continuous stream. In any case the water passing downwardlythereover formsa primary solutionof high: concentration.

To avoid-any danger ofcloggingit is important thatthe primarysolutionshallbe permitted. to pass-freely from. the: upper compartmentintothe chamber H. To this end, the partition plate 16 is made of adiameter considerably smaller than the container, thereby forming a wideannular slot 25 between the edge of the partition and the wall of thecontainer.

Precipitation and solidification in the chamber 11 of the primarysolution of high concentration is effectually prohibited by theimmediate conversion of this solution into one of low concentration. Forthis purpose, a second or branch pipe 211 leads from the T-fitting 2|downwardly along the container and enters the mixing chamber l1. Throughthis connection a relatively large volume of water enters under pressureand preferably from the side of the chamber. The resulting turbulenceinsures an intimate mixture of the primary solution with the waterbefore the discharge of the final solution from the container into thewash tank 8. Also, the splashing of the water as it enters the chamberserves to flush the edges of the slot 25 through which the primarysolution enters from the upper compartment.

The discharge outlet from the chamber is located at the bottom thereofand is preferably disposed centrally of the bottom wall. In the presentinstance, a fitting 26 has threaded therein a discharge pipe 21 leadingdownwardly to a point above the tank 8.

To regulate the volume of water supplied in the secondary or mixingstage, a control valve 28 is provided in the branch pipe It should benoted that the amount of water permitted to flow into the chamber I!should be sufliciently rstricted to prevent the level of the water inthe chamber from rising above the partition l6. Moreover, the partitionis preferably made imperforate so as to shield the briquettes from watersplashing upwardly in the chamber as a result of its forcible entrythereinto.

tion of the degree of concentration may be ob-' tained by subjecting thebriquettes solely to the regulated flow of Water discharged through theupper pipe 20.

In operation, a plurality of briquettes are placed in the container M,the valve 24 set to regulate the amount of water permitted to flowdownwardly over the briquettes according to the strength of the solutiondesired, and the valve 28 adjusted to insure that the amount of Watersupplied to the mixing chamber shall be sufficient only to maintain thelevel of the liquid in the chamber at or below the partition I6. Witheach operation of the usual valve (not shown) controlling the deliveryof water to the rinse line l2, hot water is supplied to the two branchpipes 20 and 20 with the result that a strong or concentrated solutionis formed in the upper chamber andfiows freely downward directly intothe lower chamber where it becomes converted immediately into a solutionof low concentration by intermixture with the hot water entering throughthe pipe 20 the final solution being discharged through the pipe 21 tothe wash tank 8.

It has been found that when the water softening and cleansing compoundis introduced into the wash water in the manner above set forth, it ispossible to maintain a washing solution of substantially constantstrength. Of primary im-' portance in the attainment of this result isthe gradual dissolution of the material from a solid or briquette formby causing a regulated quantity of water to flow thereover to produce astrong primary solution, and thereafter supply- In this 1 connection ithas been found that closer regulaing a relatively large quantity ofwater in a manner such as to produce an intimate mixture of lowconcentration for rapid dissemination in the wash water. Also ofsubstantial importance is the absence of any pockets in which thesolution may collect, the unimpeded flow of the primary solution intothe mixing chamber, and the flushing of the communicating passage by thewater discharged under pressure into the mixing chamber, to effectuallyprevent clogging of the passage.

I claim as my invention:

1. A dispensing apparatus of the character set forth comprising, incombination, a holder for water soluble briquettes, means for supplyinga regulated quantity of water for passage downwardly over saidbriquettes to form a strong primary solution, a lower mixing chamberhaving an inlet for said solution and a lower outlet, and means forsupplying a relatively large quantity of water under pressure to saidchamber for admixture with the primary solution, the inlet to saidchamber permitting the free flow of the primary solution to the chamber,and the outlet from the chamber being relatively restricted.

2. A dispensing apparatus of the character set forth comprising, incombination, a container open at its upper end, a cap removably closingsaid container and having a cup-shaped recess in its upperportion withspaced apertures therein, a partition in the lower portion of saidcontainer dividing it into an upper compartment adapted to receive aplurality of water soluble briquettes, one above the other, and a lowermixing chamber freely communicating with said compartment, means forsupplying a regulated quantity of water to said cup-shaped recess fordistribution over said briquettes whereby to form a solution of highconcentration, means supplying a relatively large quantity of water tosaid mixing chamber for admixture with the primary solution dischargedfrom said compartment, and means for discharging the mixture from themixing chamber into a wash tank or the like.

3. A feeding device of the character set forth comprising, incombination, a container, a partition removably supported on the bottomof said container and dividing it into an upper compartment adapted toreceive a water soluble briquette and a lower mixing chamber freelycommunicating with said compartment, means for supplying a regulatedquantity of Water for distribution over said briquette whereby to form asolution of high concentration, means for supplying a relatively largequantity of water to said mixing chamber for admixture with the primarysolution discharged from said compartment, and means for discharging themixture from the mixing chamber into a wash tank or the like.

4. A dispensing apparatus comprising, in combination, a container, apartition disposed above the bottom of the container and dividing itinto an upper compartment adapted to receive a plurality of watersoluble briquettes and a lower mixing chamber, said partition havingmeans for supporting it upon the bottom of the container and beingconstructed to establish free communication between the said compartmentand said mixing chamber, means for supplying a regulated quantity ofwater to said compartment, and means for supplyin water under pressureto said chamber horizontally thereof.

5. In a dispensing apparatus of the character set forth comprising acontainer having an upper compartment for receiving briquettes adaptedto be dissolved by the introduction of water to the compartment to forma strong solution, a separate lower mixing chamber communicating freelywith said upper compartment, said chamber having a discharge outlet atthe bottom thereof, and means for supplying water under pressure to saidchamber at one side thereof for admixture with the primary solutionflowing downwardly thereinto from the upper compartment.

6. A dispensing apparatus comprising, in combination, a container, apartition disposed above the bottom of the container and dividing itinto an upper compartment adapted to receive a plurality of watersoluble briquettes and a lower mixing chamber having an outlet, meansfor supplying a regulated quantity of water to the compartment to form astrong primary solution, and means for supplying water under pressure tosaid chamber for admixture with said primary solution, said partitionbeing constructed to provide free communication between the compartmentand the chamber.

7. A dispensing apparatus for cleansing or water softening compoundscomprising, in combination, a container having a bottom wall, means forsupporting the compound above and in spaced relation to the bottom walland defining an upper compartment and a lower mixing chamber, outletmeans for said chamber, means for introducing water to said compartmentto dissolve the compound therein so as to form a strong primarysolution, and means for supplying Water under pressure to the mixingchamber, said supporting means permitting free communication betweensaid compartment and said mixing chamber to permit the primary solutionto flow downwardly by gravity into said mixing chamber for thoroughmixture with the incoming water before discharge through said outletmeans.

SYDNEY A. RAYMOND.

